Challenge!
by LonelyAura
Summary: A challenge from WhyDoICareAnymore.
1. Chapter 1

**Challenge**

**1-Itachi Frontline**

Itachi steeled himself, hoping that he wouldn't break down. He _had _to do this, for the village hidden in the leaves.

"Shisue, meet me at the Nakano river in two days. I have to go on a mission for awhile." That was all that he said. Nothing else.

"Itachi, why? Why couldn't you put the clan first? Could you have tried to go along with the plan? Itachi, we're _brothers._ What about Sasuke?! What about your lover?! Your career? Your friends? Your sanity?!"

"I'm sorry Shisui. Less people will die this way. Maybe we will meet in another lifetime. Goodbye."

-

Itachi tightened his hiate-ate. It was too late now. Shisui was dead, and his clan would be tonight. Sasuke ran away, laughing, to the academy. 'I'm sorry.' Click. His Katakana. Rustle. Back-up exploding notes. Jingle. Money to buy food on the trip to Ame.

The civilians were first, to spare them fright. A young girl playing with her younger, 3-year-old-brother was first. 'I'm sorry.'

Dropping like flies, he continued to the genin. Older shinobi. Lover. Close family. Parents.

'Father, I'm sorry I must do this, even if I didn't love you, I'm sorry.' He subjected his father to Mangekyo. 'Mother, you weren't innocent, but it still brings me pain to do this to you. Your death will be quick.' His father died from the mangekyo, his mother collapsing on him moments later.

'Sasuke, I cannot kill you. I hope you will end up grateful, not suicidal. Goodbye.'

Itachi grabbed his hiate-ate, which had fallen, and turned a tear-filled eye to his brother.

'Konoha, what I did for you, I hope you never learn.

This is a challenge that was put up by WhyDoICareAnymore. This is chapter one of ten. I hope you enjoyed. The story is a bit darker than the song, but it should work.


	2. Room of Angel

**Challenge**

**2-Itachi, Room of Angel**

Mother, I'm sorry. I loved you, I really did, but it's too late, and only Shisui will know.

"Why Itachi, why?" She asked. I wanted to stumble into her arms and cry.

"To test my capacity. You are hardly worth the time." 'Will you be happy? Away from here?'

"Worthless." I'm sorry.

"I promise I will never regret this." I will pray to everyone every night.

"You will never hear me apologize." Because you will not live long enough to.

They died.

"I'm sorry mother. Sorry I couldn't find another way."

"Natsohiroshi, why are you, so red?

Because, I had a sad dream, last night.

My eyes are red, from the tears I've shed, swollen as I've cried.

Natsohiroshi, why've you lost, your way?

I'm searching for a child whose gone, afar.

He can't be found though I search, all day, my sad dreams come once more." The first lullaby I ever heard. Footsteps sounded. It was time.

The song comes from the starvillage filler arc. The next songs could go either way.


	3. Numa Numa

**Challenges**

**3- Numa Numa, Itachi**

"Shisue-itoko, Obito-itoko, what the hell are you guys doing?!" An almost four year old Itachi asked his 'older brothers'.

"It's called pulling a prank." Shisue explained, shocked.

"…What?"

"You've never pulled a prank?!" Obito exclaimed, aghast.

"He is the clan heads oldest…" Shisue consoled. "Well Itachi, come here. You haven't learned how to set traps yet, but you can watch."

"It's really fun to see the expression on people's faces!" Obito said loudly. "Come on!" Taking Itachi onto his back and running to Konoha's center, leaving Shisui to catch up.

"Oi, wait up!!!"

Entering the area, Obito pulled a rope trap and placed it in a dark alley. He placed a second and third around it, and some trip wires, which would release the buckets of garbage he had pulled.

"Okay. Itachi, start yelling help when you see a ninja, and I'll henge into a big guy." He said as Shisui caught up.

"…Okay…" Obito hid and Itachi looked for a ninja of some sort. Then, he spotted the perfect one. He looked to be around 20 or so, with blond hair and somewhat narrow blue eyes. He was walking in leisure, whistling.

"HEEELLPPP!!! AAAGGHHIIIEEE!!!" Itachi screamed, and Obito took it as a sign to henge and come onto the boy. The man looked around in alarm, before poofing and appearing behind Obito. Unfortunatly for that man, the wind was blowing wrong, and he landed on the rope trap.

"Agghh!" He shouted, and Obito froze. 'Oh Kami no, don't tell me…' Obito slowly turned to see Minato Namikaze hanging from the rope. The shock caused him to unhenge.

Minato cut himself down and landed, fully prepared to laugh it off. But of course, he landed on the trip wire, causing garbage to come cascading down.

"…" Minato's eyes were shadowed.

"M-Minato-sensei…" Obito stuttered, rather scared.

"Obito-itoko, that's your sensei? I thought you said you had a cool jonin-master, but what jonin would let himself get caught in a trap like that?" Itachi said, rather confused.

"Itachi, we're going to play a game now," said Shisui, "We need to beat Obito Itoko home. You can ride on my back." Itachi climbed on, but before they could move, they heard some of the scariest words they would ever hear.

"Stay where you are…" after that experience, Itachi learned to have a healthy respect for the thousand years of pain no jutsu, seeing as Obito couldn't sit without wincing for days…

"Poor Obito-niisan." Said Itachi, watching Shisui get the pictures from the pharmacy. Obito had been flying in them.

This actually might not be able to work for the challenges, but I've enjoyed writing them.


	4. I'm Blue

**Challenge**

**4-I'm Blue**

Itachi's eye twitched, though you couldn't see it.

They were celebrating the capture of the Gobi, and Kisame, Hidan, and Deidara were drunk shitless. Kakazu, Pein, and Konan were all mildly drunk, and Itachi, Zetsu, and Tobi(Madara were all sober.

Kisame, though only Shinagami-sama knows, had gotten hold of a song sheet that had been translated from one of the most elusive languages in the Hidden continent, English.

On one side it had the English words, and how to say them in katakana, and on the other the Japanese kanji. The title? 'I'm Aoi'.

"_I'm Aoi, I'm Aoi…" _His attempts at singing dissolved into nonsensical words. Itachi was sure he even heard the word 'Zabuza…'

"L-lemme see t-that, Fishface." Said Hidan, who had consumed 20 bottles of Sake.

"What the fuck is this shit?! _I'm blew, bad a be da do dab o bad do dee bad doo da? _What the Hell?"

"Sing it in Japanese. I'm aoi bad a de ba do da bad da do da doa bejeoewfds….." Deidara gave up, suddenly interested in a painting next to him. "ART IS A BANG, NOT A FUCKING PAINTING!!!" BAM.

Itachi looked next to him at leader, but he was explaining his plan to Kakazu(yet again) who was nodding with a bored expression.

"…" Itachi took it upon himself to knock out Deidara, burn the song sheet, and send Hidan flying toward Kakazu, where he was promptly decapitated.

"What was that for, you motherfucking-red-eyed-vampire-heathen?!" Who else but Hidan, cursed.

"You are all acting out of line. Kisame, if you do not stop singing and calm down, I have to restrain you."

"Just try it. We all know that you can't hold me down, though I bet you would love to do _it_ to your brother." Kisame teased in his drunken stupor, randomly jumping from one subject to another.

"Kisame just crossed the line." Konan said.

"100 ryu he dies." Kakazu betted.

"350 he gets physicly tortured Ibiki-style." Added Pein.

"10000 Kisame-san develops a fear of cats and the name 'Tora'… along with weasels." Tobi said.

"It's your money." Kakazu threatened.

"…Tsukiyomi…"

From that day on, Kisame would sweat whenever they neared the Daimyo's house, saw a cat, or hear rodent sounds.


	5. Chapter 5

**Challenge**

**5-Weasel Stomping Day.**

_Twitch_

"…"

"Ha ha, die, you stupid Itachi, DIE!!!"

Itachi almost fell out of the tree as he watched the gore before him.

Weasel gore flying everywhere… 'God, Madara really needs to get some medicine for Deidara…'

Deidara was blowing up weasels. He was blowing up weasels and screaming 'Die Itachi Die!'. He was blowing them up by sending snakes and hawks flying at the nest.

"Orochimaru should have taken your body, you stupid fucker!!!" Itachi stared, rather shocked.

'…Best rub this in his face.' And with that, Itachi created a Kagebushuin(AN: No idea how to spell it…) to go to the pharmacy…

The next day Deidara found pictures of him covered in gore with weasel parts around him, and random parts flying around him, explosions around him, all around the makeshift base(where most of the akatsuki had been staying).

"Wow, Sempai really needs meds…"

"TOOOOOBBBIIIII!!!!!! _**KATSU**_" Needless to say, Akatsuki had to change bases that day…

-

I died when this song came on. I had first thought to do it with Sasuke, but then, why would Itachi be spying on him? Then I remembered Deidara… XD


	6. Teenagers

**Challenge**

**6-Teenagers**

Everyone(except three) of the Akatsuki members stared. And stared.

"Itachi… what the hell?" Asked Kisame. Now, most people would blanch at asking Uchiha Itachi this question, but given the circumstances, no one blamed Kisame.

Itachi had black lipstick, grey eye shadow, black nail polish, his cloak was missing, and in place were leather pants with a chain, and a red shirt that was open at the front.

"I lost a bet with Deidara and Hidan. Hn." Even Leader-sama was staring. The, 17 year old Uchiha Itachi, had roped himself into a bet with 18 year old Hidan, and 16 year old Deidara, and lost, and was actually going through with the punishment.

"I'm not even going to ask what the bet was." Kakuzu(Kakazu or Kakuzu?) said.

"…Han and Cho…" (even or odd)

Deidara and Hidan came in, looked at Itachi, and began breaking down into uncontrolled laughter.

"Oh my god, that's just too motherfucking rich." You guessed it, Hidan guaffed (AN:that is a made up word. It means laughed).

"Poker in a week." Itachi said, then retreated into his room.

"You're on, Asshole!!!" Deidara yelled after him.

"HELL YEAH!!!"

**XXXoneweeklaterXXX**

Itachi smirked. He was winning.

"Triple Ace. Go buy the sake, Deidara, and Hidan, you're coming with me."

XXXminuteslaterXXX

Again, the Akatsuki stared. Hidan had emerged from the bathroom with his hair in… ponytails… light pink nail polish, and a green dress.

"Shut up, fuckers." Hidan said, glaring. Kisame burst into laughter.

"You're lucky Hidan, you wouldn't believe how far Ibiki carried this…" Itachi said.

"Oi, I'm back with the sak-" Deidara burst out, coming through the door, but when seeing Hidan, he burst out into laughter.

"Your next, you stupid heathen perv." Hidan cursed. (AN: Perv-refrence to tongues on Dei's hands)

Itachi grabbed Deidara by the ponytail and dragged him into the bathroom.

"What the hell?! OH KAMI NO FUCKING WAY!!!" The rest of the Akatsuki stared.

"What the hell is your partner doing to Deidara, Kisame?" Questioned Sasori, his puppet shooting as odd a look as it could at Kisame.

"No idea. Itachi's usually calm, but he may have lost it. After all, he _did_ kill his clan…"

A few moments later out came Itachi and a rather pretty blond girl…?

"Oh my god, you look even worse than me, heathen!" Laughed Hidan. The rest of the criminal's minds had frozen, trying to process what they were seeing.

Deidara had her-I mean, _his_ hair braided. He had a magenta-pink dress on, with red nail polish on. On top of that, he had light pink lipstick and purple mascara.

"DRINKING CONTEST!!!" Hidan yelled randomly. The older Akatsuki blanched. This could _not_ turn out well…

XXX

Hours later, which had involved vomiting, dancing, Itachi removing his shirt, and a f*cking scared Leader, Kakuzu(Kakazu?) and Sasori were sent to awaken them.

"Hey brats, time to wake up." Sasori said. Deidara groaned, Hidan glared, and Itachi ignored them.

"WAKE UP BEFORE I KILL YOU!!!" Kakuzu yelled.

That morning Kakuzu lost three hearts, half of Sasori's puppets were burned/exploded, and Itachi continued his descent into blindness.

**XowariX**

The moment this song came on, something just yelled 'Itachi Deidara!'. I added in Hidan for fun, because on the data book it said that Hidan was 22 when he 'died', so he would have been 18. The characters were slightly ooc, but oh well. When it said 'and Itachi continued his descent into blindness', It meant that when Kakuzu yelled, it gave him a freakin' bad headache, and he used Amaratsu, which made him loose a level of vision…


	7. I'm Just a Kid

**Challenge**

**6-I'm just a kid**

Itachi had to get away. Though he didn't show the Third and counsel, he was screaming on the inside. Kill the clan? Shisui, Sasuke, his lover, Mikoto, his Okaasan? Only six months to prepare? _'But it would bring peace, less people dying…'_

"Understood. I will began to prepare myself." _'Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?!'_

The rest of the council left, leaving only Sarutobi and Itachi.

"Itachi, if this is too much to ask of you-"

"I will be fine, Hokage-sama." Itachi reassured, trying to suppress the anguish.

"Itachi, you are a child…" The Sandiame(The third) persisted.

"I will be fine, I assure you." Itachi repeated.

"Very well, dismissed." Said the third Hokage, and with that, Itachi fled.

'_I've got to go away.' _Were Itachi's only thoughts as he fled to the borders of the village and farther.

XXX

Shisui had been returning from a mission, when he noticed a blur go past him.

'_Itachi?'_

Shisui hesitated, and then followed…

XXX

About 15 kilometers(9.3 miles) later, Itachi stopped.

He collapsed onto his knees, and began sobbing.

Itachi had never sobbed so hard. The last time he had cried was at Obito's funeral, when he was almost four. He had been hit for it.

He hunched over, and hugged his knees to his chest. Though it took effort, he reached into his kunai holster, and pulled one of the said weapons out.

'How easy it would be…' He thought, gazing at it. He brought the tip to his wrist.

"Itachi." He looked up. There was Shisui.

"S-Shisui…" Itachi said, aghast. What would he do? Itachi tried to stand up, but Shisue, putting a hand on his shoulder, consoled him.

"Itachi, it's okay to have emotion."

Itachi sobbed. He continued for hours, up until the sky started getting lighter. Shisui was with him the whole time.

"Itachi?" He asked, looking at said boy.

"…Hai?"

"What's wrong? You've never broke down like this." Shisui explained. "You would've killed yourself if I hadn't been here."

"…It's just too much, Shisui. Now that I'm ANBU, father has been pressing me to get information. The council is also trying to get me to spy for them. Also, I recently had to assassinate a family. Everyone. There was a ten year-old girl, with a seven year-old sister, and two year-old brother. She was playing with them when I… completed the mission. There's too much pressure Shisui, from everywhere, constantly. Too much…"

"Itachi, there's nothing you can do except keep going. Make your choice." Shisui said, trying not to let his nervousness show. This was the reason he had been asked to spy on Itachi. But Shisui wasn't going to tell the clan heads about this, it was too private, and this was the first real display of emotion in years.

"It's not as easy as that, but your right." Sighed Itachi. "Let's go jump into a stream or something, so we can pass this off as training."

"Let's."

**XowariX**

Okay, that was WAAAYYY too angsty for the song, but who cares. Tis be called the artistic license, loves.

Might get another chapter in today… meh.


	8. Numb

**Challenge!**

**Chapter 8- Numb**

I forgot to put this in the first chapter, so I will now. I do not own Naruto or any of the singers/bands whose names are used. This song is by Linkin Park.

TxT

Itachi panted, but pushed himself to repeat the same pattern he was working at.

"You can do better than that, Itachi." Said Fugaku Uchiha, his father, frowning. Itachi began going faster and faster, even though he knew he could suffer from muscle damage.

AxA

"Itachi, if you want to protect the village, you need to do better. You can always go higher." Danzo spoke, looking intently at the almost-twelve-year-old.

"Hai, Danzo-sama."

FxF

"Itachi, I'm getting worried for you." Shisui stated one day, coming up to the kid. "You're the walking dead these days. You need to take a break every so often, or you'll just crack."

"Shisui, you know that this is how I advance… I need to get stronger, if only for you and Sasuke." Itachi responded.

"Itachi, I don't need protecting, and Sasuke has entered the academy, he'll learn how to protect himself. Besides, we never have fun anymore…"

"Itachi! I need you for training!" Yelled said boy's father, coming out of the house. Shisui gave him a sad glance.

"Just take a break every so often, Itachi. You'll hurt yourself one day."

SxS

"Itachi, could you train with me?" Sasuke asked his older brother, looking up at him with shy eyes.

"… Fine." Itachi muttered, forcing himself to stand. Sasuke smiled and bounded out the door, not seeing the wince from Itachi as he stood.

The older began instructing the younger on how to throw kunai, but it was when he attempted to demonstrate when it became obvious that he something was wrong.

"Now Sasuke, you must be careful to not let yourself be cut by the kunai. Then you must pull back your arm, and let loose-" Itachi let the weapon fly toward the target, and Sasuke's eyes followed eagerly.

"Itachi that was so- Nii-san!" His brother had fallen to the side, clutching his side.

"What's wrong? Should I get Oka-san? Do you-"

"I'm fine, Sasuke. Just a small wound." The 11-year-old ground out, gritting his teeth. He took his hand from his side, and saw it blood-covered. He put his hands into a quick seal, and began to heal the scratch.

"How did you get that, Nii-san?"

"Just a training accident. Should I continue to teach you, otouto?"

"No, I'll be fine, you should rest."

Itachi sighed, but allowed himself to be dragged home by his little brother after the bleeding had stopped. When Sasuke left, Itachi called out.

"You can come out now, Shisui."

Said teen jumped out of the branch he had been hiding. "A training accident?" He asked in a bitter voice.

"Yes."

"So, who did it, your father? Or maybe even Danzo… or could it even be your squad leader?"

"…Shisui, you know this is how I get stronger."

"With your father yelling at you every moment? Your employer attacking you every second you're not on a mission? Itachi, take off your shirt." The older growled out.

"No."

"You forced me." With that, he sent a genjutsu toward Itachi. Though the younger boy easily dispelled it, it was enough time for Shisui to cut through the lower half of Itachi's shirt.

"Look at that, Itachi. That was obviously inflicted on purpose. It was intended that you either dodge or deflected it… did the blade have poison on it?!" Shisui asked in newfound horror as he looked at the wound. It was a long gash in Itachi's right side, red on the edges.

"I must strive higher and higher, Shisui, how am I going to serve if I don't? I am nothing but a tool to the Leaf and Uchiha."

"We are more than tools, Itachi! Don't you remember Obito?!"

"Obito died in service, still as a tool. He died under the Leaf."

"Itachi, we are human, Obito died saving his friend from the rocks, and gave him his eye…" Shisui croaked out, shocked at the behavior of Itachi.

"And the eye was used, and is still used, in the service of the Leaf by Kakashi-sempai. Face it, we are nothing but tools."

"And Sasuke, is he a tool too will he be a tool?" The fifteen-year-old retaliated.

"…Sasuke will do what is needed of him."

"Itachi, you're my best friend, my younger brother... You don't understand how painful it is to see you like this. You're a kid, just eleven… how is it that you are expected to kill? You may be a genius but you, are, a, _kid._"

"I can only except what is true." Itachi stated sadly.

"Itachi… I want you to take a break for a day soon, okay? If you don't, you will find yourself naked hanging from the Hokage Monument."

Itachi glared with amusement in his eyes.

MxM

"Itachi, when you are done with this mission, please report to the counsel room."

"Hai, Danzo-sama."

"Dismissed."

Itachi left the room quickly. He wanted to get the stupid mission over and done with. It was the night after Shisui had spoken to him, and he began to think Shisui had been right.

He took care of the older family quickly, making sure there was no noise, but once he got to the children…

"Big sister, catch the ball!" Came a small voice from inside the room.

"Not now, I need to finish giving a bottle to Hideo."

"Forgive me…" Itachi muttered and stepped inside the room.

"W-who are you?" The youngest girl, looking about age seven, asked. Itachi caught her eye, while sending a genjutsu to knock her out.

"What did you do to my sister?!" Screamed the older. She too was knocked out in the same way.

"I'm sorry…" Itachi whipered again and stepped toward the baby…

KxK

"Itachi, the counsel has judged that your father will not be reasoned with. Therefore, we have decided that the clan must be executed. You will be the executioner."

"Hai."

EndxEnd

Yes, a rather bad ending, I know. This would be what happened before chapter seven… Sorry for the late update.


	9. I Ran Over the Taco Bell Dog

**Challenge!**

**Chapter 9- I Ran Over the Taco Bell Dog**

… **This is a random one…**

**XX**

One day, a very aggravated Uchiha Itachi was returning from a mission. It was a foggy day, and that mission had been taxing to the nine year old.

Suddenly a form appeared in front of the child.

"AAHHHGGG! DIIIEEE!!!" Thwack!

"Holy Shit, what the hell?!"

"Hey kid… I think you just killed Tora the fourth…"

"You are sooo paying for this mission."

"You. Will. Die. I went after the thing, got scratched like hell, and you KILL it…"

Many civilians that day were confused at the Uchiha prodigy running from three genin…

**XX**

**XD Shortest one yet! Wow, I'm almost done with the story… thing… This was fun to write! :D This is a scit or something by… someone. I'm using chatroom music! It just switches on its own!**


	10. I Miss You

**Challenge!**

**Chapter 10- I Miss You**

**(Blink 182)**

**-sigh- Time to bring the fanfic to an end. My first finished one!**

**Hans: Umm, perhaps that person was the only one reviewing, perhaps people came across it, read a chapter, and hated it, or even they read it and figured someone else would review. I don't know, I will never know, and it was not your place to write what you said. I will accept flames if you tell me why it was bad, but your '****That fact there's only one person reviewing should tell you something...' Is pathetic, and ****I ****shouldn't be****acknowledging it, but I am. Feel honored.**

**DreamingIn2Eternity: Ummm… Okay? I write whatever comes to mind. Thanks for the last part. I'll end the fic in honor of you.**

**X**

Itachi ran. He didn't remember for how long, but he did. He ran to escape, both living chasers, and dead. He ran to escape the ANBU of Konoha who chased him, and the voices that surrounded him. He knew that he was to meet with Madara at the border of Ame, the Rain, but with the noise pounding at his head, the never-ending headache, he barely remembered the orders.

'Nii-san, train with me!'

'I know what you're planning. I want in.'

'Would you like to get some dango, Itachi-chan? I know you think you're too old, but…'

'As expected of my son.'

'Bye Itachi-kun, I'll see you when the mission's done. Wish me luck!'

'Oh, my little cousin. I know you saved many, but you sacrificed many as well. Are you sure you've thought it through?' The last voice was not a memory. It spoke, as if next to him. Of his brother, his ancestor, his mother, and his father, only one voice stood out. Why was that?

Why did only Shisui stand out?

He had been able to kill everyone –but his brother- so shouldn't Sasuke's voice have been the one to follow? Why did his best friend's come only?

He did not find out until after death.

"Little cousin, I've been waiting for you." A- no, THE voice said as he awoke. He was next to a river, but he didn't bother to look for landmarks.

"I've been calling out for you, but you always dismissed me as a voice. Idiot." He received a hit on the head from a seventeen year old Shisui. Itachi smiled down at his friend.

"Not so little now, am I?"

"Baka. C'mon, Obito's waiting. So are your parents."

"Let's." Though Itachi wouldn't understand for a long, long time why they had forgiven him in death so easily.

**Owari**

This is a mixed one, angst and humor. I swear, I would've ended the fic with humor (just keep switching through songs) had I not seen that dead kitten… poor thing…


End file.
